OK, as I was searching around through eBay I stumbled across this auction
http://cgi.eBay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=5031320051I thought to myself that this was a pretty cool looking puffer fish lamp, bigger than the one I made myself, and what a neat story to be able to tell while drinking Mai Tais with my friends. My other thought was maybe I would learn some history of a lost tiki bar.
I asked the lady after I won if she could tell me the name of the bar from which it came out of. She told me it was the Kon Tiki in Galveston TX. Hmmmm...so I start checking around and all I come up with is this http://garzaskontiki.com/Now this place looks like they would not have any sort of tiki anything hanging up in the place-very glitzy and high tech. looking in the photos.
So I write her back and tell her what I found here is her return email:
yes, this is the same bar, it used to be in another location on Galveston Island back in 1976 from which the lamp came, it was called the Kon tiki and in fact it was a gay bar. The current Kon tiki, the glitzy gay bar you located is it! years ago they were in another location on the island a different owner and it was not glitzy the decor was different..... thanks, vickie..

Could there have been an earlier bar that might have had tiki decor?
Maybe I'll have to wait for the ghost to appear and ask him! he he he
whoooooooooo (spooky music in the background)

I don't understand why this ghost story technique is used so often to sell stuff on Ebay... sure it's a cool looking puffer fish lamp but if there is any truth to the story, who the hell wants to deal with some dude's spirit! Unless a bidder has an interest in the paranormal I couldn't see where this would be the right route to take in selling something you could list legitimately and likely sell for a decent profit.
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I know what you mean Johntiki. All that lady had to do was put the word tiki lamp in the auction and I'd of had a lot of company bidding on this. No tiii, or puffer fish and strangely she puts haunted in the title!? LOL. Crazy, huh?
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She titles herself as a professional psychic. See her "About Me" on her ebay listings. As far as looking at it from a Marketing/Sales perspective, it is actually a marketing strategy on her part (being a self-proclaimed psychic) since those who are into purchasing psychic/paranormal items, would look the items for sale as making a 'connection' with someone who had an energy (whether positive or negative) and would possibly entice them to purchase the item(s) that are for sale.

Think of it as the equal to buying a tiki that came from an estate that had Good (or bad) Mana.

Quote: 'Las Vegas - Tropicana Hotel & Casino - Over the years visitors to this hotel are greeted at the entrance by a large tiki mask face, and many people have reported getting a terrible purple rash after touching it. And when people take pictures in front of it they report seeing a strange purple hazy cloud of smoke in the picture after they developed the pictures.'

Quote: 'Las Vegas - Tropicana Hotel & Casino - Over the years visitors to this hotel are greeted at the entrance by a large tiki mask face, and many people have reported getting a terrible purple rash after touching it. And when people take pictures in front of it they report seeing a strange purple hazy cloud of smoke in the picture after they developed the pictures.'

Sounds like it's haunted by the ghost of Jimi Hendrix! _________________ Purveyor of
Doctor Z’s 'Not-Quite-Patented' Hangover Remedy“Sworn BY, not sworn AT” Ask for it by name!

Quote: 'Las Vegas - Tropicana Hotel & Casino - Over the years visitors to this hotel are greeted at the entrance by a large tiki mask face, and many people have reported getting a terrible purple rash after touching it. And when people take pictures in front of it they report seeing a strange purple hazy cloud of smoke in the picture after they developed the pictures.'

After some anxious days waiting for my fish lamp. ( It was being shipped from Near Galveston ) It arrived. Real nice well made lamp with great patina. It really looks old up close.
I excitedly plugged it in, and immediately got zapped by electricity. It was a pretty big blue flash.I first off screamed, then I carefully looked the whole thing over and found no cut or bare wires, nothing seemingly wrong. While I was checking the lamp over my husband came to see why I screamed. He took the lamp, looked it over and not finding anything wrong either, plugged it in. worked fine!
Guess the spirit in the lamp likes my hubby better. hee hee!
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